The relationship between depression and sexual function in menopause period.
OBJECTIVE
Menopause is a physiological process that is lived universally by every middle age woman. This study has been made with the aim of determining the relation between depression situation and sexual function of women in menopause period.


METHODS
This study was made with 300 women in menopause who applied to Akdeniz University Research and Application Hospital on January 2007. Study used socio-demographic data descriptive survey form, Beck Depression Inventory and sexual function scale as data collection tool. Data were collected by researchers in face-to-face interviews.


RESULTS
In the study it was found that age and marriage duration of women could reduce sexual function. Depression was determined in 29.3% of women and sexual dysfunction in 65% of women. Significant negative relation was found between sub-dimension of sexual function scale of women vaginal slickness, orgasm, pain, total sexual dysfunction and depression point.


CONCLUSIONS
In the study it was determined that while depression points increased with menopause, sexual function reduced and with the increase of depression point, sexual dysfunction increased too. Qualitative studies must be made that will examine emotional situations and sexual life of women.
Yangin
Hatice Balci
HB
Akdeniz University, Antalya Healt School, Antalya, Turkey.
Sözer
Gülşen Ak
GA
Sengün
Nazik
N
Kukulu
Kamile
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology